Missionary Monday…Sadie's Four Month Mark

How was your weekend?  We are still trying to recover from the flu around here.  But, how I do love Mondays.  Sadie and I were able to email today and I am feeling like maybe, just maybe, I might survive this "missionary mom" thing.   Although some days are still really hard, I continue to feel peace knowing that she is happy and loving what she's doing.  January 25th marked four months of her mission, and in two more weeks, she'll be a fourth of the way done.  These little milestones count, especially for the missionaries themselves.  The elders have a tradition of burning one of their whites shirts to celebrate their year mark.  That's probably a good thing.  I know how much our cute elders in AZ sweat!  I'm not sure what  the sister missionaries do to to celebrate…I'll have to check that with Sadie.  Before Sadie left, she created a missionary blog that I maintain.  In another attempt for me to simplify, I will now be posting Sadie's letters, for the most part,  only on her blog. Here's the link if you'd like to continue to follow her little adventure.

I hope your week is off to a good start, and to all my friends in the midwest…I was looking at your temperatures, and yikes! Stay warm!!!

January Winner

Congratulations Eloise !!!

YOU are the Winner of the Pottery Barn Sign !!!

Thank you to all of you who entered!
REMEMBER….third friday giveaway will now be quarterly.
  Look for the next giveaway on MAY 16th!

Happy Friday!

Pottery Barn Sign Giveaway

In keeping with one of my new year's resolutions to simplify,  Third Friday Giveaway will now be a quarterly giveaway.

L O V E  this LOVE sign from Pottery Barn.   Great for Valentine's, great for all year round.

          {How to enter}

1. Become a follower of terra's earth (by liking terra's earth on facebook OR via google friends connect.)

2. Leave a comment on this post telling me how you follow.
3. Also leave a contact email (with comment) if it's not linked to your profile (so I can let you know if you win:)

One winner will be selected from the comments using random.org and announced on January 24th.

{the giveaway closes on January 23rd, 2014 at midnight}

{contest open to those residing in the intercontinental u.s.-no p.o. boxes please)

a few faves (from December)

Favorite quotes… Two cause they tied.

Sierra, "Mom, hurry, log on to your computer!  I'm on the verge of brilliance!"

Gentry (as we are driving to school one day), "Mom, do you think Santa orders things like Kindles from somewhere, or do you think he makes them?"  Me, "I don't know babe, that's a good question."  Gentry (after pausing a moment), "Perhaps Steve Jobs is involved."  

Favorite Movie

Love, love, love this quirky little film. Reminding me that there is more to life than laundry.  Amazing cinematography plus a random  sound track I can't get enough of…check out Dirty Paws from Monsters and Men.


And a few other favorites...


A hot chocolate stand

 

Gregg's work party (kicking off an upcoming global rally in the UK)

and my family looking British (sort of)

with my mom and dad being fabulous



this sight right out our back door

family pics (minus Sadie-insert sad face)

a choir concert

a gingerbread face off with my girls

 

visiting the mesa temple lights on christmas eve

my husband humoring me for a pic

 

celebrating the true meaning of christmas 

 

sister time

skping with SADIE!!!

 

teenagers

the parents (who think they're teenagers)

my pyro

 

S P A R K L E R S

and finally, celebrating a new year, new hope, new opportunities, and a new perspective.

Because, sometimes, changing where you stand,  makes all the difference.

2014

Good morning dear readers, it's good to be back.  I got up this morning and took a long walk.  The first song on my iPod was Miranda Lambert's "The house that built me".  I was immediately taken back to this memory with Sadie. Bittersweet.  As I walked along, I felt happy listening to the crunch of the late fallen leaves under my feet.  Arizona winters are always beautiful.  And while the  rest of the country is trying to stay warm, we are celebrating temperatures in the seventies and finally escaping the smothering heat of summer.  It's a trade off.  I always miss having a white christmas, but after December is over, all the perks of a desert winter win out.
     2014.  A new start, a new year.  I spent December taking a good, and very hard look at who I am, and who I want to become.  The process of striving for self refinement is something I do innately.  It's who I am, and it's something I can't put aside for too long, or I become really unhappy. I've loved having this time with my family.  When we return to our routine this coming Monday, I will find a few, quiet moments with my journal to write down what I want accomplish and improve on in 2014. As I neared the end of my walk and took inventory of all my thoughts, I was reminded of one of my very favorite quotes.  It's from this scene in the Lord of the Rings movie, The Fellowship of the Ring.
                       All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.

I believe that, in the eternal scheme of things, our time on this earth is relatively short.  And really, the only thing that we get to take with us is the knowledge and experience we've gained and the relationships we've formed.  Gratefully, I believe that the love we give and receive transcends this life.   But what do I want to do with this time I'm given right now, today?   More than anything, I'm trying to learn to make it more about others, and less about me. Sadie is spending eighteen months of her life loving and serving other people.  She's never been happier.  And once again, I find that my children are teaching me more than I will ever teach them. Looking forward to 2014...

Happy New Year.